How to plant ranunculus – a gentle buttercup for your garden
Tell us how to plant ranunculus? Visiting a friend, I saw how it blooms, and now I also want such a plant for myself. Is it possible to plant tubers right away in the garden or first you need to germinate them in pots?
Bright terry inflorescences of ranunculus are a real find for flower growers. The rich color of chic stuffed buds, smoothly opening one after another, will delight all summer. In addition, it is simply irreplaceable for bouquet arrangements – cut flowers retain their freshness for almost 2 weeks. If you are already fired up with the desire to get yourself such a plant, it does not hurt to learn how to plant ranunculus. By the way, he feels good both in the garden and indoors. Both in the open field and in a pot, the bush grows well and blooms profusely.
There are two ways to grow a buttercup, as this wonderful flower is also called:
- from seeds;
- with the help of nodules.
Ranunculus planted with tubers will bloom in the current season. Plants grown from seeds – only after a year.
How to plant ranunculus seeds?
If it is possible to install additional lighting, sowing seeds can be carried out even in winter, but this is usually done in March. The containers are filled with peat substrate for flower seedlings, moistened and the seeds are laid out. Sprinkle a little earth on top and cover with foil. Growing seedlings should be cool (about 15 ° C heat), but in the light. When the bushes form several leaves, they are dived into separate pots, and with the arrival of heat, they are planted in the garden.
Planting ranunculus tubers: methods and timing
The root system of the plant is presented in the form of small nodules. In shape, they are similar to miniature dahlia tubers or octopus crumbs. They cannot hibernate in the open ground, therefore they are dug up for the winter and are stored indoors from autumn to early spring. So, tubers that have wintered in the house can be planted immediately on a flower bed or first sprout in pots.
Sprouting ranunculus tubers in pots
Ranunculus can be awakened from the second half of March. Previously, you should not do this, because the plants are strongly stretched from a lack of light, and then they will bloom poorly. You need to plant the tubers immediately in separate cups, and before that, first germinate a little.
This can be done in two ways:
- Put a napkin soaked in a growth stimulator in a container. Put the tubers on it in one row. Cover with foil on top.
- Pour a thin layer of loose substrate into a shallow tray. Moisten it liberally. Put tubers and cover with foil.
In the first case, the ranunculus will be ready for planting after the swelling of the nodules, and in the second, after germination. In this case, they need to be laid while standing, on the branches-legs.
You cannot soak ranunculus in water – it will simply rot there..
The prepared tubers are planted in a light substrate, again putting them on their legs and covering them with earth. The top should remain above the soil level. Growing seedlings should take place at a temperature of no more than 18 ° C heat. On the flowerbed, it can be planted no earlier than the frost.
When and how to plant tubers outdoors?
Ranunculus planting begins not earlier than the second half of May, having germinated them before that. The place should be light, without drafts, and the soil should be light and nutritious. The holes are made with a depth equal to the triple height of the tuber, and between them they leave at least 15 cm.
It is better to mark the planting site with sticks so that you do not accidentally trample before the emergence of shoots.
For the first time, you can cover the bed with straw, especially if the planting was early or the temperature is expected to drop.
